I am interested also. I have several albums of old photos of ancestors and others. I am the only one left who can identify the people on the photographs and it is becoming urgent for me to do so. I am reticent marking the original photos. What is your recommendation? Thank you.
Paulette, Camarillo, Ca Sent from my iPad On Oct 13, 2012, at 6:57 AM, "Maureen Supon" <[email protected]> wrote: > I'm interested - I started with date-first filenames and decided change to > surname-first. I'd like to read your reasoning before I do any more work on > this ! > Thanks, > Maureen > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "hwedhlor" <[email protected]> > To: <[email protected]> > Sent: Saturday, October 13, 2012 2:55 AM > Subject: Re: [LegacyUG] What to do with genealogical files after death of > compi ler > > > JLB and Robert Austen, > > Thank you both for your kind remarks. > > On the further subject of archiving images in Legacy and > elsewhere, while I was working through the thousands of > documents, articles and images a lady delivered to my friend > a pair of cardboard boxes, each measuring about two feet on > each side. Both boxes were filled to the brim with beautiful > photographs, mostly from the last quarter of the 19th > century, though some were as late as the 1920s from the > styles of clothing, and some were early cabinet photos from > the 1860s. They were all extremely well preserved and > unblemished, mounted in mats and folders. The product of a > variety of studios in a variety of geographic locations. The > lady who brought them had no idea who they were, or to whom > they might be related. She knew that we were doing some > fairly intensive work on family history and thought we might > be able to identify some of them or find descendants who > might like to have them. Unfortunately not a single > photograph had any identifying markings. Those photos should > have been scanned and posted on web sites for others to view > and possibly identify. I have no idea what the disposition > of those photos was. What a tragic loss to the families of > those in the photos. > > I urge all of you to mark the photos you have with names, > dates, places and circumstances where know, and also to scan > each image and develop a file naming standard that will > allow anyone viewing the file names to know who, what, when > and where they were taken. Paper, or electronic filing > systems that tag photos and image files with numbers and > require separate index lists to identify those in the > photos, or systems that place photos and image files in > folders by surname, but only use given names on the photos > themselves, often end up with the index lists disappearing, > or the photos being separated from the surname folders. Each > individual photo, or electronic image file should bear > enough information to identify the people in the image, > along with the date, place and ideally the circumstances of > that photo or image file. > > I strongly urge that your file naming standard be based on > surnames rather than on dates. Our goal is to document the > lives of people, not the happenings of years. Those who come > after us may not have a clue what year look at for a > particular image, but they will recognize the surnames, and > often the given names, of those whose image they seek in a > list of electronic file names. There is much more that can > be done to develop a useful file naming standard, and I have > documented such a standard in previous submissions to this > list. I developed my personal standard over a period of > years working with thousands of photographs of other peoples > families. Having such a file naming standard allowed me to > organize those images so that I could find anyone easily in > seconds. That standard us now fairly well-established, > though minor changes continue to evolve as needs arise. One > of the additional benefits of the file naming standard I use > is that it allows me to keep all of my electronic images of > individuals in a single folder, and images of groups (2 or > more people in a photo), documents and places & things in > three sub-folders. That makes it very easy to both back up > those image files, or to move them if the need arises. If > anyone is interested I will be happy to send them a > five-page rationale and a one-page quick reference sheet, > both in MS Word format, or to publish that rationale here if > there is sufficient demand. > > John Zimmerman > Mesa, AZ > > > On 10/12/2012 4:14 PM, Robert Austen wrote: >> >> I have witnessed similar ‘tragedies’ of lost files and >> work. On the brighter side I discovered a binder, with all >> handwritten notes, in a small town ‘research’ center that >> contained info on a relative. The archivist knew the >> person who donated it, called them immediately, we met and >> all enjoyed the ‘family reunion’. She also gave much more >> info and photos, and was grateful to hear/receive other >> info on the family even though she would not be doing any >> research. >> >> My file is much too large to print everything out but I do >> share the complete Legacy file with a cousin thereby >> safeguarding the information. We both spend a great deal >> of time each day on research and can work through the >> problems/walls that arise. It is great to have someone to >> share/do that with. However, neither one of us has a close >> family member that is keen on genealogy so our tree may >> die with us! >> >> John Zimmerman’s later post is well taken. >> >> Bob >> >> *From:*[email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] >> *Sent:* Thursday, October 11, 2012 2:23 PM >> *To:* [email protected] >> *Subject:* RE: [LegacyUG] What to do with genealogical >> files after death of compi ler >> >> Lets be honest and face it. No matter what format our >> life's work is in it becomes questionable as to whether it >> will survive us, especially if what we do is not >> appreciated in anyway by our survivors. >> >> I personally knew of a situation where a friend and fellow >> genealogist who helped me get started had all his research >> PAPERS (including correspondence spanning several years) >> PITCHED when his 'loving children' thought he was on his >> death bed. 40 years of meticulous gladiolus hybridizing >> records suffered the same fate. He survived his "impending >> death" scare only to learn when he was well enough to come >> home that his children had rented a dumpster, parked it at >> the front door and got rid of all his "crap". He later >> told me he didn't have one scrap of paper left to show for >> 40+ years of hybridizing OR genealogy. I would have LOVED >> to have, at least been offered, the chance to pick through >> what he had since we had a common ancestor. >> >> In another situation the widow of the researcher was ready >> to pitch her husband's research when an in law found out >> about it and salvaged it before she did. In neither case >> was anyone contacted to see if "you want any of this >> 'stuff' ________ (fill in the blank, Dad, Mom, Aunt Alice, >> Grandpa, Grandma etc) accumulated?" >> >> Safe guard as best we can and hope for it to survive us >> and wind up in some one (or some institution) loving >> hands.......! >> >> gc >> ---------- Original Message ---------- >> From: "Brian L. Lightfoot" <[email protected] >> <mailto:[email protected]>> >> To: [email protected] >> <mailto:[email protected]> >> Subject: RE: [LegacyUG] What to do with genealogical files >> after death of compi ler >> Date: Thu, 11 Oct 2012 10:03:17 -0700 >> >> I'd just like to pass along my recommendation for passing >> along your own legacy: HARD COPY ! No exceptions. >> >> >> Brian in CA >> >> >> >> >> >> >> Legacy User Group guidelines: >> http://www.LegacyFamilyTree.com/Etiquette.asp >> Archived messages after Nov. 21 2009: >> http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ >> Archived messages from old mail server - before Nov. 21 2009: >> http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ >> Online technical support: >> http://www.LegacyFamilyTree.com/Help.asp >> Follow Legacy on Facebook >> (http://www.facebook.com/LegacyFamilyTree) and on our blog >> (http://news.LegacyFamilyTree.com). >> To unsubscribe: >> http://www.LegacyFamilyTree.com/LegacyLists.asp > > > > > Legacy User Group guidelines: > http://www.LegacyFamilyTree.com/Etiquette.asp > Archived messages after Nov. 21 2009: > http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ > Archived messages from old mail server - before Nov. 21 2009: > http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ > Online technical support: http://www.LegacyFamilyTree.com/Help.asp > Follow Legacy on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/LegacyFamilyTree) and on > our blog (http://news.LegacyFamilyTree.com). > To unsubscribe: http://www.LegacyFamilyTree.com/LegacyLists.asp > > > > > > > Legacy User Group guidelines: > http://www.LegacyFamilyTree.com/Etiquette.asp > Archived messages after Nov. 21 2009: > http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ > Archived messages from old mail server - before Nov. 21 2009: > http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ > Online technical support: http://www.LegacyFamilyTree.com/Help.asp > Follow Legacy on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/LegacyFamilyTree) and on > our blog (http://news.LegacyFamilyTree.com). > To unsubscribe: http://www.LegacyFamilyTree.com/LegacyLists.asp > > Legacy User Group guidelines: http://www.LegacyFamilyTree.com/Etiquette.asp Archived messages after Nov. 21 2009: http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ Archived messages from old mail server - before Nov. 21 2009: http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ Online technical support: http://www.LegacyFamilyTree.com/Help.asp Follow Legacy on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/LegacyFamilyTree) and on our blog (http://news.LegacyFamilyTree.com). 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